MercyMe: A Beautiful Dichotomy

But we all know the world isn’t perfect. Our fallen lives
require grace. And life…true life everlasting requires death.

Our God is a God of mystery and grace. Following Him
requires the faith to believe in mind-blowing paradox and awe-inspiring
dichotomy.

Perhaps this is why the song and latest single from Mercy
Me, “The Hurt and the Healer” came so quickly to writer and lead vocalist, Bart
Millard.

Written shortly after the funeral of a cousin, killed in the
line of duty, “The Hurt and the Healer” not only set the tone for the rest of
the record; it represents the season of life the band is walking through.

“It’s been a difficult season,” shares Bart. “We’ve gone
through a lot of crazy stuff.

My cousin was a firefighter killed in the line of duty. They
were on a call in this old part of town and he was in charge. They had a rookie
with them and they were on the rook and needed to ventilate a backdraft. The
roof started to give way and he pushed the rookie out of the way. He got hung
in a lot of cables. It took too long to get to him. By the time I got to the
hospital, the hall was lined with firefighters. Everyone had a story. It was
one of the most disturbing and proud moments of my life.

“You’d think after doing this for 18 years, you’d figure it
out or see everything. But it never fails that we’ll go through something we’ve
never gone through before. I’m used to losing loved ones. But I haven’t played
the role of being the friend. It’s new to me to go from the guy who has all the
questions to the guy who is asked all the questions.”